


A Heart I'd Swear I'd Recognize

by ashmandalc



Category: Horizon: Zero Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Romance, hey this time the title is sara bareilles, meridian festival, soft friend love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-06
Updated: 2019-09-06
Packaged: 2020-11-01 22:56:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20535680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ashmandalc/pseuds/ashmandalc
Summary: Preparations were finalized for the day, and he was given the day off with a knowing look that he pointedly ignored. Now came the attempts to talk Aloy in to finally joining in the celebration. Every year, she had something else she had to do. There was never enough time, and he missed her dearly as he watched everyone else enjoy themselves in the festivities.





	A Heart I'd Swear I'd Recognize

The anniversary festival had arrived. Four whole years since the battle at the tower. Four years since he had followed Aloy to what was possibly _(probably)_ going to be his death. He treasured every breath he could since. He also counted the days until Aloy returned from her far off adventures. He was up to seventy two as of last night, and lo and behold, when he woke up for the morning she was waiting at his door, a canvas bag of rolls in her hand. With smiles exchanged, they walked from his home, where she followed with stories of her trip as he made his way to his post by the king’s side. Every glance he could steal, he did, and the sight she gave was as breathtaking as all the others.

There was a stray leaf in her hair, a couple of pine needles. She had small cuts on her cheek, and a new scar on the back of her hand. New braids pulling even more hair back. It was much longer than he remembered. She’d ask for a cut again soon, he could tell. She kept pushing loose hairs away, trying to tuck them behind her ear or into a braid. All she needed to do was ask, and he’d happily brush them aside for her. She followed him up to Avad’s seat, where she bowed her head respectfully before greeting the king and his advisor.

Preparations were finalized for the day, and he was given the day off with a knowing look that he pointedly ignored. Now came the attempts to talk Aloy in to finally joining in the celebration. Every year, she had something else she had to do. There was never enough time, and he missed her dearly as he watched everyone else enjoy themselves in the festivities. It started with a half-enthused question: “So you gonna stay the evening? Supposed to be good this year.”

He waited for the refusal. 

_“No, I’m sorry. I can’t make it. I have a cauldron that needs some work done inside.”_

Or

_“No, this isn’t really my kinda thing. But you have enough fun for the both of us, alright?”_

He just wanted to show her how pretty everything was all lit up. The fireworks dancing in the sky, the smoke from food vendors sailing by, lanterns floating by; it all made for a very ethereal sight. Every year, he enjoyed himself without a doubt, but he felt sure it’d be even better if she were there too.

“I...Hmmm.” Her mouth was twisted as she thought it over as he prepared himself for another denial. “I think...if you can find us a quiet spot, I can stay. It’d be nice to actually see it from inside the city for once.”

Ignoring the thought of her standing below them all, alone as everyone cheered to her success, his day was spent scoping out a fine place to rest for the day. They came prepared with wineskins and waterskins, one and two for each respectively. Enough foods were brought to keep them content for the duration, though he always knew the best places to get more should it be required. They settled in at the palace, a table and chairs brought out at his request. The place he’d spent so much time waiting for her to come back, and now here she was beside him in a seat, trying a festival cake for the first time. Sweet sticky crumbs stuck to her chin as she took a bite. In the time he’d been searching for a place, she had had enough of fighting with her hair, and just braided it all back. The curls struggled to stay put, but a few were escaping. She had foregone armor for the evening, as the heat crawled up throughout the day, so she was comfortable and relaxed by the time evening came around.

Sweet wine in their cups, a tray of food each, they settled in for the lanterns and fireworks. He noticed her watching the floating lanterns with a fond smile, and he was reminded of the night before the Proving, when he had watched her let loose a lantern of her own. The others that night had had mothers to light their lanterns for, and he wondered who she lit hers for.

Her thoughts seemed sad, though she still smiled as she gently palmed a pendant hanging from her neck. She had loosely touched on its origin, so he reached a hand out to her, gripping her fingers when she placed her hand in his. Their calluses rubbed against each other’s palms as fireworks lit up the sky. The people below yelled and whooped, dancing, and singing. Aloy watched them, her fingers tightening around his.

“There’s always a part of me that’s angry,” she murmured. He hummed, curious to know her thoughts.

“He couldn’t be here. Out of everyone that was allowed to make it, why couldn’t he be one of them? And I know he wouldn’t want me to dwell. He wanted me to move on. But I can’t help feeling like…” Her words were left hanging in the air, ready for him to pluck and put them in a place she liked.

“You can’t help feeling like there’s someone out there who deserved being saved less.”

She nodded, sighing. “So much for the hero of the new world, right?”

Erend scooted his chair closer to her, gripping her hand again. “You’re human, Aloy. We’re always gonna feel like we want things to be different than they are. I wish Ersa were here, and I know for a fact not everyone down there was worth her death. But it’s the way things are, and Ersa made her choices. Rost made his choices, too. The ones left behind can only do their best to move on.”

Aloy continued watching the fireworks, leaning her head on his shoulder. She brought their hands to her lap, her thumb rubbing circles on the back of his hand.

They sat there in calm silence for the next long while, only moving to take sips of wine, or nibbles of snacks. He looked down to her head of hair, shining with the light of the moon, and the dim light of nearby wall sconces. Erend pressed his lips to the crown of her head. “Aloy...I should tell you...I care about you…a lot.”

Her hand squeezed his. “I know, Erend. I’ve known for...a long time now. But I just wasn’t ready to hear it. I’m sorry I made you wait this long.”

He chuckled. “So you saw through me, huh?”

She laughed. “You didn’t have me fooled for a second.” She sobers up, quietly saying, “We both had to be in different places for a while. We weren’t okay.”

Erend let his breath loose, moving loose tendrils and flyaways on her head. “Are we okay now?” His heart was almost hurting from the adrenaline, the pounding it was going through under his tunic. She shifted in her seat to face him, bringing one leg up to comfortably rest across his lap. His hands settled around her knee without thought.

With one hand on the back of his neck, she brought the other up to rest on his chest. _Just over his heart_. _She could feel it. It was speeding. She had to know what this was doing to his insides._

“I think we are. I feel...settled. In a way I haven’t felt in a long time. I kinda want it to keep on. What about you?”

The hopeful light in her eyes drew him in, nose tip just touching hers. He wound an arm around her waist to pull her fully onto his lap. When she smiled, he couldn’t stop staring at her lips, kissing one corner, then the other. The hand over his heart slid up to the side of his neck. His slow smile mirrored hers before he dipped in just as another round of fireworks began down below.


End file.
